[featured_image]Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples ” (Mt 28:19-20)
Making disciples starts with non-disciples. My experience growing up in the church is that most churches focus on the process of maturing disciples, rather than on the process of making disciples. It seems that for many Christians they aren’t that concerned about whether they are making anything, they just want someone there to help them to be “mature.” And yet, often they think of maturity in terms of biblical knowledge, rather than in terms of obedience.
It’s not enough to know what the Bible says, we must do what the Bible says.
I’m not sure that we can be mature disciples (followers of Jesus) if we aren’t obedient disciplemakers. Jesus told his disciples, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me,” and “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word.” How can I say that I love Jesus and not obey Jesus? It doesn’t make any sense. How can I say that I’m following Jesus and then not do what He did?
Somehow I’ve come to think that I must be mature because I’ve been a Christian for a long time, and I’ve studied the Bible and I know what it says, and I can even quote verses that I’ve memorized, and I can probably answer a lot of people’s questions.
But am I obeying what it says? Am I making disciples who make disciples? I’m not. I can do a better job. I can be more intentional.
Dr. Steve Ogne observes, “We’ve made it about being disciples instead of making disciples.” I’ve done that. I’ve focused on trying to pour truth into Christians so that they are “maturing” in the faith, rather than helping them to obey what Jesus said about making disciples.
It’s not enough just to be a disciple. Every Christian needs to make disciples. We need to reproduce spiritually. Are you focused on being a disciple of Jesus, or making disciples of Jesus?How are you making disciples who make disciples?
